Review #109: The Gardens of Sir Verity- Benjamin Sheppard

Summary: Timothy Novison thinks he has it all planned. But on the way to confess his feelings for his close friend Holly, he and his best friend Andy are involved in a car accident; leaving Andy in a coma and Tim with guilty feelings. Asked by Andy’s mother to keep the bedside vigil on the hours that she can’t, Tim meets Mr. Savonet, a retired schoolteacher whose goal is to write a novel before he dies.

Mr. Savonet seeks to instruct young Timothy who has become depressed, especially when he finds that his feelings for Holly aren’t shared. While Tim struggles to win her over, Mr. Savonet uses the adventures of his book’s three main characters: Pith, Sage & Moxie, who must travel through the fictitious Gardens of Sir Verity, to introduce Tim to the lessons he needs to learn.

But Mr. Savonet’s condition is worsening. And in order for Timothy to learn the most important lesson of all, he has no choice but to come face to face with Sir Verity himself.

Title: The Gardens of Sir Verity

Author: Benjamin Sheppard

Pages: 272

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Review: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This book was not what I was expecting. It is a story within a story and although I get the authors reasoning behind it, this book was not my cup of tea. I like that it had an underlying message for Tim the main character and helped him get through a rough time, I just found it all rather strange. If I was in Tim's place I would have been more concerned with my friend laying on the bed in a coma then with his roommate. Maybe if the auor had talked more about Andy while Tim was there it would have been better. It was like he went to see Mr. Savonet and didn't give to squawks about Andy. 

I did like how Mr. Savonet would get I'm to have discussions with him about the book and it would actually apply to real life as well. That fit his teacher role perfectly. I just wish that the charcters had been more relatable. I would have liked Holly to go more into detail about why her and Tim couldn't be together. Also I wanted to know more about Sara.

I might try reading another book by Benjamin Shellard in the future, as long as it is different than this book. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a story within a story.